Side Quest: Southside Coven- Brewing Troubles (Pt. 1 of 3)

--- Valentina Alejo Domingo ---

A blaring alarm dragged her from an otherwise peaceful slumber (for once.)

Slamming a fist on the alarm to shut the stupid thing up, she proceeded to rub the sleep out of her eyes before shaking her sister awake. The younger girl having snuck into her bed after a particularly bad nightmare the night before.

Her eyes drifted to the large bird skull on her dresser, empty black eyes staring into her own.

“Come on chica, time to get up.” She told her baby sister, giving the girl a gentle shake.

“No…” Her little shining light whined. “Five more minutes.”

“Nah, five more minutes means five more mami has to stay up.” She reminded her sister, earning a pained groan from said sister as the twelve year old rolled out of bed.

“Always bringing mamá into it…” Elena grumbled stumbling out of the room, and letting the faint smell of breakfast into the room as she opened the door.

Shaking her head she made her way to the door and closed it before throwing a glare at the bird skull as she reached into a small baggy of cheap looking crystals.

“I’ve told you before mi familia is off limits. If you’re hungry, eat these.” She told it, before pelting the skull with one of the crystals.

“It’s not the same…” A raspy voice whispered.

“I don’t give a fuck.” She dismissed before changing into her day wear, long used to the eyes watching her with just a touch of hunger. “Touch them again and you won’t eat for a week.”

“Thought you’d enjoy it… playing hero…”

She ignored the voice and its rasping laugh, instead choosing to make her way to the kitchen where her exhausted looking mother was nursing a cup of coffee while looking dead on her feet.

“Hey mamá.” She greeted with a half-hug as she gently guided her madre to a chair. “You didn’t have to make us breakfast.”

“It’s the least I could do.” Her mami argued. “Especially with how little I’m around for you two, mija.”

“That’s not your fault.” She scowled where her mother wouldn’t see. “Your bastardo bosses are the ones having you work so much for so little.”

“Come on, it’s not that bad.” Her mami told her, “At the very least we’ve got enough to cover all of the bills and everything.”

“Maybe…” She conceded, before forcing herself to put on a smile as Elena entered the room. “You eat yet, or?”

“Sí.” Her mami yawned before setting down her coffee as she gave Elena a hug. “I was just waiting for the two of you to get up before heading to bed myself.”

“Alright, well… try to get some rest.” She told her mamá, knowing she wasn’t the only one in the family who had trouble sleeping.

“I will.” Her mami assured her with a hug and kiss to her temple. Actions that would embarrass other teens, but that she savored given how rarely she actually saw her mami. “Can’t do this without you mija.”

“Te amo, mami.”

“Yo también te amo, mija.” Her mother smiled back before making her way towards her room.

(I know you can’t do this without me, but I’ll make sure you don’t have to do this at all soon enough.) She silently promised, knowing how her mami felt about her taking part in any of her ‘extracurricular’ activities, regardless of how much money they could pull in.

With her mamá off to bed and Elena already half-way through her breakfast, she made herself a plate and scarfed it down as quickly as possible, fully aware of the fact that time was probably her most valuable resource next to it.

Something she was reminded of as on their way out of the house she passed a pair of bird skulls she’d talked her madre into letting her hang next to the door.

“Keep guard.” She ordered, as she did every time she left the house.

---

“Alright, you need anything from the store, chica?” She asked as they passed the last store before her sister’s school.

“No, I’m good, Val.” Her sister assured her, taking a breather from her rant on why the now canon couple of whatever anime she was watching was inferior to another. “Anyway like I was saying, I get that they’re childhood friends and she had a crush on him but he had so much better chemistry with the other girl and the only reason the author tacked them together so that everyone could be in a relationship at the end. I mean all she had going for her was frequent ‘damsel in distress’ syndrome, while the other girl helped him get revenge for his mom and protect his family! Honestly, pretty much every other girl in the series would’ve been better than her, even those two that were only around for like a single season arc before coming back at the end!”

“Uh-huh.” She nodded, listening to her sister’s rant despite not entirely understanding or caring about it, before asking if, “You’ve got lunch money for the day?” as they came up to the school gates.

“Sí, I’ve still got left over money from yesterday.” Elena told her.

“Alright, then mamá will pick you up from school today.” She reminded her sister. “And since I’ve got a meeting with girls after school, I’ll probably be a little late getting back to the house. You remember the rules for when you’re home alone?”

“Don’t open the door for strangers. Don’t open it for any of mamá’s ex’s. And if I’m feeling scared, throw the rocks on your dresser at the creepy bird skulls to make myself feel better.” Her sister listed with some exasperation, having had to recite the same list at least once a week for almost two years. “Oh, and if someone tries to break into the house again, throw the skulls at them before calling you, because they’re heavier than they look.”

“¡Eso es!” She nodded, ruffling her baby sister’s hair.

“Stop!” Elena whined, making no actual effort to stop her.

“Sure thing, hermanita.” She smirked, thinking how cute her baby sister was when she took a step away and tried to glare. (It’s like a puppy pouting at you.) “You have a good day, alright?”

“I will, you too Val.” Elena told her starting across the street.

“Te amo, hermanita.” She called once Elena had crossed the street, earning a few snickers from the other nearby spanish speaking students.

“Yo también te amo.” Elena called back, rushing through the gates before her sister could embarrass her any further.

Smiling softly, she waited until her hermana was safely inside the school, before letting her smile fall as she said, “Stick with her for the day. Anyone touches her-”

“EaT tHEm AlIVe.” Her shadow finished from behind her standing twice her height and triple her width without a single human feature.

“Yep.” She nodded, turning towards her own school without even bothering to meet the mad eye of the Demon she’d sold her soul and numerous others to.